One of the most fascinating military innovations of the Gauls, in my opinion, were by the Galatians who are a fascinating bunch who ventured into Anatolia, formed a small kingdom and were renowned as warriors and mercenaries. During Rome’s expansion into Anatolia, they had relations with the Galatians and when they formally got involved in their war with Pontus, they discovered that the Galatians had modelled either their army or specific units after the Romans, de facto Gallic legionaries.
Hey Ancient history guy! Big fan, I'm Jack Duncan of the Celtic History podcast, this is a great summary but I do feel its important to understand how the societal structure influenced the make up of the Celtic military. Would love to have a chat about this and how this influenced the mercenary culture we seen in the Middle La Tene period
@@SithStudy didn't Hannibal specifically plan Cannae around putting his Gauls in the middle knowing they would get pushed back ? And I know getting pushed back doesn't mean tucking tail and running but it doesn't sound like something ur elites would do. I think most of the Gauls in Hannibal's army prolly regretted it and were writing home to their parents like the soldiers under general Lee talking about "momma I wanna come home"
According to what I know, the Gauls didn’t make extensive use of slingers in open-battle unless they were involved in a siege, where they were utilised to keep enemy archers or slingers heads down on the battlements. Generally the Gauls weren’t renowned for their missile-troops, preferring javelins in open-battle. The Britons apparently were renowned for their slingers.
Caesar mentions the Gauls using slings and bows at Alesia, and later on during the Roman Civil War. Another writer(forget his name) also mentions them sometimes using slings
I think the concept of it being armor is wrong but still however likely that some warriors, just as those who wore little to no armor, opted to wear leather (no armor) into battle as well.
Probably because leather degrades in under a century 😂 we’re never gunna find any evidence of it unless a Gaulic warrior with leather was preserved in ice or something. Otherwise leather completely degrades.
Not doubting your sources, but were talking western and central Europe, cattle owning peoples, and bronze and iron weaponry. It just makes so much sense to use some leather armor.
There are statues that have been discovered at Roquepertuse in France and Glauberg in Germany that depict armor very similar to the Greek tube-and-yoke style armor, but they also could have been linen.
The Celts, like the Greeks and Romans and pretty much all men and creatures, did the same acts: duel, raid, trap, siege, fort, and charge. As for the armoury, they had the same as most other people did at the time: spear, bow, axe, club, flail, knife, shield, helmet, and sword. Some may have had a cuirass or a byrnie and a horse or horses and chariot
Russians, as pretty much all men and creatures, do the same acts: utilize infantry tactics, use tanks and rockets. As for equipment, they have the same as most other armies do: rifles, tanks, IFVs, planes. Some units have thermobaric missile launchers. That's why it's irrelevant to compare anything to anything No but seriously is that like the takeaway from your comment? Kinda surface level thought under a much more nuanced video lol
Also only the elite would have had armor and that was a shield basic helmet and fur armor and occasionaly a byrnie for the wealthy nobles. Also besides the Greeks and other Latin based cultures like Spain noone had plate period.
I find it funny to see the french saying the gauls were they ancestors when in reality the germans are cause as we all know the Franks were the ones who moved to what now is france
Franks were such a small minority, they did not murder 80 - 90% of the Romanogauls, they ruled (mostly), but they became one and the germanic part was more like drops yo the romanocelts.
Nah. This was mostly just the ruling class. Conquering elites reshape the culture of a country, not necessarily its genetic makeup. The 'Turks' got their name and language from an Asiatic people, but 90%+ of modern Turks could trace their ancestry back to the same Anatolian Greek peoples who have always lived in that region.
@@andersbjrnsen7203 well Julius Caesar killed about 2 thirds of gauls when it conquer it and then they had the german invasion that more than likely killed a lot of gauls and to finish the franks came and conquer also pillage a lot of small towns so i dont think the mayority of french descend from gauls but from germans that learn the language and culture
One of the most fascinating military innovations of the Gauls, in my opinion, were by the Galatians who are a fascinating bunch who ventured into Anatolia, formed a small kingdom and were renowned as warriors and mercenaries. During Rome’s expansion into Anatolia, they had relations with the Galatians and when they formally got involved in their war with Pontus, they discovered that the Galatians had modelled either their army or specific units after the Romans, de facto Gallic legionaries.
The galatian legion was actually included as a regular legion into the roman army later, giving all of these legionaries roman citizenship.
Hey Ancient history guy! Big fan, I'm Jack Duncan of the Celtic History podcast, this is a great summary but I do feel its important to understand how the societal structure influenced the make up of the Celtic military. Would love to have a chat about this and how this influenced the mercenary culture we seen in the Middle La Tene period
Where can I find your podcast?
@@abdeziel_1465 "The Celtic History Podcast on Spotify and iTunes although it appears on all major podcast platforms
It's good to see something from this side. It's kind of rare.
I feel like the Gauls would have been some of Hannibal‘s best soldiers
They definitely were good shock troops and cavalry
Underrated comment
@@SithStudy didn't Hannibal specifically plan Cannae around putting his Gauls in the middle knowing they would get pushed back ? And I know getting pushed back doesn't mean tucking tail and running but it doesn't sound like something ur elites would do. I think most of the Gauls in Hannibal's army prolly regretted it and were writing home to their parents like the soldiers under general Lee talking about "momma I wanna come home"
Hannibal loved his Balaric stone slingers. They were cheap, accurate and deadly.
Love the video, keep up the great work.
Thankyou!
How common was the use of the sling among Gauls?
According to what I know, the Gauls didn’t make extensive use of slingers in open-battle unless they were involved in a siege, where they were utilised to keep enemy archers or slingers heads down on the battlements. Generally the Gauls weren’t renowned for their missile-troops, preferring javelins in open-battle. The Britons apparently were renowned for their slingers.
@@pyrrhusofepirus8491 That is the impression I got. Historically speaking.
Caesar mentions the Gauls using slings and bows at Alesia, and later on during the Roman Civil War. Another writer(forget his name) also mentions them sometimes using slings
Lether armor was not a thing in this case. There is not a single hustoric source, nor archeological wvidence for leather used as armor by the celts.
I think the concept of it being armor is wrong but still however likely that some warriors, just as those who wore little to no armor, opted to wear leather (no armor) into battle as well.
Probably because leather degrades in under a century 😂 we’re never gunna find any evidence of it unless a Gaulic warrior with leather was preserved in ice or something. Otherwise leather completely degrades.
Cmon man. They are in Central Europe. These people did not wear nothing all the time. Half the year is cold. They need leather and wools.
Not doubting your sources, but were talking western and central Europe, cattle owning peoples, and bronze and iron weaponry. It just makes so much sense to use some leather armor.
There are statues that have been discovered at Roquepertuse in France and Glauberg in Germany that depict armor very similar to the Greek tube-and-yoke style armor, but they also could have been linen.
A sarissa of an episode
Haha it is!
how is possible for the gallic warrior to hold in battle both the spear and the pilum?
The Gauls are my personal fascination. I wish we had more insights of their daily lives not written from the perspective of their enemies
The Celts, like the Greeks and Romans and pretty much all men and creatures, did the same acts: duel, raid, trap, siege, fort, and charge. As for the armoury, they had the same as most other people did at the time: spear, bow, axe, club, flail, knife, shield, helmet, and sword. Some may have had a cuirass or a byrnie and a horse or horses and chariot
I would also add slings and stones to their arsenal
Russians, as pretty much all men and creatures, do the same acts: utilize infantry tactics, use tanks and rockets. As for equipment, they have the same as most other armies do: rifles, tanks, IFVs, planes. Some units have thermobaric missile launchers.
That's why it's irrelevant to compare anything to anything
No but seriously is that like the takeaway from your comment? Kinda surface level thought under a much more nuanced video lol
@@DieNibelungenliad The flail was not used at all euring this time period.
Romans atributed the invention of chainmail to the celts.
Also only the elite would have had armor and that was a shield basic helmet and fur armor and occasionaly a byrnie for the wealthy nobles. Also besides the Greeks and other Latin based cultures like Spain noone had plate period.
@😢freddekl1102 k4m😂mghjhjhmv...?,,,?,,,???????🎉,,,,???🎉 9:02 9:02 9:02 9:02 9:02 9:02
LEVY FREEMEN!!
So the Gaesatae were like Dark Souls players of old; wearing no armour in the belief their skill would protect them
I thought the Romans got the idea of the pilum from the Iberian Peninsula
include a bit geographical depictions pls
Guals
Best horsemen in history: (laughs in Mongolian) horseback archer masters.
Dude stop writing your script with AI, or at least change it up a bit
This script sounds like it was made by AI 😂
It's pronounced gey-es-tay not gie-sat-ie
I find it funny to see the french saying the gauls were they ancestors when in reality the germans are cause as we all know the Franks were the ones who moved to what now is france
French is latin franks were used as auxiliaries long before rome collapsed in gaul . Romanogauls survived the roman empire collapse.
Franks were such a small minority, they did not murder 80 - 90% of the Romanogauls, they ruled (mostly), but they became one and the germanic part was more like drops yo the romanocelts.
Nah. This was mostly just the ruling class. Conquering elites reshape the culture of a country, not necessarily its genetic makeup. The 'Turks' got their name and language from an Asiatic people, but 90%+ of modern Turks could trace their ancestry back to the same Anatolian Greek peoples who have always lived in that region.
Its not like neither Romans nor Franks exterminated the Gauls. Gauls probably make up quite a bit of the French DNA pool.
@@andersbjrnsen7203 well Julius Caesar killed about 2 thirds of gauls when it conquer it and then they had the german invasion that more than likely killed a lot of gauls and to finish the franks came and conquer also pillage a lot of small towns so i dont think the mayority of french descend from gauls but from germans that learn the language and culture